Asbestos Litigation "Crisis"

"Far too often, in our nation's capital, the response to a bad law is to create another, even worse law. Such is the case with Sen. Arlen Specter's proposed 'solution' to the asbestos litigation crisis. While everyone agrees there is a problem urgently needing action, Mr. Specter wants to create a new Trust Fund.... FreedomWorks, a grass-roots advocacy group I co-chair, is working hard to defeat this colossally bad legislation. Unfortunately, some Republicans are succumbing to the siren call of this Big Government proposal. In an odd new twist, my old friend Jack Kemp has now teamed up with Mr. Specter to attack my organization, FreedomWorks, for opposing the Trust Fund approach. Mr. Kemp's letter ('A trust fund for asbestos victims' May 15, The Washington Times) responding to an article I wrote two months earlier, appeared the day before Mr. Specter published a blistering attack in the New York Times....Mr. Kemp actually goes further than Mr. Specter and also argues our efforts to repair the legal system for asbestos litigation by setting clear medical criteria (defined by the American Medical Association) 'simply will not provide justice to the thousands of asbestos victims, nor will it bring relief to the growing numbers of companies (including many small businesses) that face the increased risk of bankruptcy because of asbestos liability.'" Dick Armey, The Washington Times, 06/12/2005